Multiple optic sensor system

Abstract: An optic sensor system comprising an optic sensor (10), a pair of photoelectric devices (12,14) and a pair of optic fibers (16,18) that transmit light respectively between the photoelectric devices (12,14) and the sensor (10). The photoelectric devices (12,14) serve as both a source of input light for the sensor (10) as well as a light detector for the light returned from the sensor (10). A control circuit is used to switch the photoelectric devices (12,14) on and off, thus determining the periods of time that each operates as a source or detector.

Description: The invention relates to an optic sensor system, comprising at least one interrogatable optic sensor, the at least one sensor having two bi-directional optical ports whereby interrogating light received by the at least one sensor through either port exits through the other port with a characteristic dependent on a parameter sensed by the at least one sensor, and a plurality of light source/detector devices connected to the optical ports, each device being switchable between a condition in which it acts as a light source and a condition in which it acts as a light detector. The invention also relates to an optic sensor method, for interrogating at least one interrogatable optic sensor, the at least one sensor having two bi-directional optical ports whereby interrogating light received by the at least one sensor through either port exits through the other port with a characteristic dependent on a parameter sensed by the at least one sensor, comprising the step of using a plurality of light source/detector devices connected to the optical ports, and switching each device between a condition in which it acts as a light source and a condition in which it acts as a light detector. Such a system and method are shown, for example, in US-A-5 149 962. As shown therein, two light source/detector devices are associated with a single sensor, with one device being connected to one of the ports of the sensor and the other device being connected to the other port of the sensor. Therefore, adopting this configuration in a multi-sensor system would mean that there would always be twice as many light source/detector devices as there are sensors. Such a system would be expensive and complex, and the invention aims to deal with this problem. An alternative configuration is shown in US-A-5 149 962 in which the light source/detector device comprises a separate light source and a separate detector which are respectively connected to the two ports of the sensor, the connections being repeatedly reversed by means of an optical switch. However, readily available optical switches can only operate at relatively low frequencies and thus do not provide a satisfactory solution to the problem. Other optic sensor systems, not of the type firstmentioned above, are disclosed in US-A-5051578 and GB-A-2139346. US-A-5051578 discloses a fiber optic monitoring system having a single light source (or two light sources that are combined) for a plurality of transducers arranged for uni-directional interrogation. The system includes a respective detector, distinct from the light source, for each transducer. GB-A-2139346 discloses an optical system having at least one light source and a corresponding number of light detectors distinct from the source(s). The source(s) and detector(s) are used to interrogate, unidirectionally, one or more sensors. In accordance with the invention, therefore, the firstmentioned known system is characterised in that there are N sensors (where N is at least 2) interrogatable by the light source/detector devices, in that the number of light source/detector devices in the said plurality thereof is less than N+2,in that each port of all the sensors is optically coupled to only one of the light source/detector devices, in that the two ports of each sensor are optically coupled to different ones of the light source/detector devices, in that the sensors of a plurality or of each of more than one plurality of sensors are optically coupled to a common one or a respective common one of the light source/detector devices, in that each sensor of the or each said plurality of the sensors is also connected to a respective one of the light source/detector devices other than the common one or the corresponding common one, and by control means for switching each device in turn into the light source condition and simultaneously holding the remaining devices in the light detector condition. Further according to the invention, the known method is characterised in that there are N sensors (where N is at least 2) interrogatable by the light source/detector devices, in that the number of light source/detector devices in the said plurality thereof is less than N+2, by the step of optically coupling each port of all the sensors to only one of the light source/detector devices such that the two ports of each sensor are optically coupled to different ones of the light source/detector devices and such that the sensors of a plurality or of each of more than one plurality of sensors are optically coupled to a common one or a respective common one of the light source/detector devices and such that the sensors of the or each said plurality of the sensors are connected to respective ones of the light source/detector devices other than the common one or the corresponding common one of the light source/detector devices, and by switching each device in turn into the light source condition and simultaneously holding the remaining devices in the light detector condition. Sensor systems and arrangements embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a simplified schematic drawing of a single sensor arrangement utilising bi-directional sensing with two photoelectric devices; Figures 2 and 3 are schematic representations of a multiple sensor network employing N+1 devices to interrogate N sensors, each of the Figures showing data collection from the sensors at different time periods; Figure 4 is a simplified schematic drawing of a multiple sensor network employing N devices to interrogate N sensors; and Figure 5 is an electrical schematic block diagram of an exemplary control circuit and signal processing circuit that can be used with the systems and arrangements. With reference to Figure 1, a single optic sensor arrangement is schematically shown which includes the sensor 10, a pair of photoelectric devices 12,14 and a pair of optic fibers 16,18 which transmit light respectively between the photoelectric devices and the sensor 10. An important aspect of the arrangement in Fig. 1 is that the photoelectric devices can each serve as both a source of input light for the sensor as well as a light detector for light returned from the sensor. A control circuit (not shown in Fig. 1) is used to switch the photoelectric devices on and off thus determining the periods of time that each operates as a source or detector. In particular, the devices 12,14 are operated so as to implement a bi-directional transmission of light to and from the sensor 10, as represented by the arrows in Fig. 1. This bi-directional interrogation of the optic sensor is the subject of United States Patent No. 5,149,962 (the '962 patent), commonly owned by the assignee of the present invention, the entire disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference. The particular type of sensor 10 described in the '962 patent is a magneto-optic sensor that utilizes the Faraday effect, for example, to detect debris in a fluid or detect target position as with a proximity sensor. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, each photoelectric device is shown as being a hybrid device including a source 20 and a detector 22 contained in a common optic package. For example, the source may be a laser diode and the detector a back faceted diode. However, as is also taught in the '962 patent, the photoelectric devices 12,14 can be light emitting diodes (LEDs) that exhibit similar spectral responses. An example of a suitable LED device is part no. 1A208 available from ABB HAFO, although any number of other conventional devices can be used. In either embodiment, as well as others, an important aspect is that a single package device can operate as both a light source and detector and use the same optic fiber or optic fiber bundle to send and receive light. Thus, the photoelectric device 12 can launch light into its respective fiber 16 and receive light from the sensor through the same optic fiber for detection. This use of a number of photoelectric devices with each device functioning as both source and detector helps reduce the envelope of the sensor arrangement and also provides a convenient implementation of the bi-directional sensing scheme. The referenced patent also discloses various alternative arrangements for carrying out the bi-directional sensing scheme. The instant invention builds on the teachings of the '962 patent in order to realize a multiple sensor network. However, certain differences should be noted from the outset. First, the instant invention is not limited to any particular type of optic sensor. The Faraday-type sensor in the referenced patent is but one example of any number of optic sensors that may be useful with this invention. Second, while the present invention is described with respect to a preferred use of LEDs for the photoelectric devices, this is for purposes of explanation only and should not be construed in a limiting sense. Any optic arrangement or device, single, hybrid, or otherwise, including optic fiber arrangements, that can be used to source and detect light at a common point are feasible with the present invention. Third, while the instant invention is particularly useful for implementing a bi-directional sensing scheme with a plurality of sensors, advantages of the invention can be realized without the use of bi-directional interrogation of the sensors. With reference next to Figs. 2 and 3, a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in simplified schematic form for ease of explanation and clarity. A multiple sensor system or network 30 is provided that includes N optic sensors (S 1 -S N ). In the example used herein, three sensors S 1 , S 2 and S 3 are shown (N=3). A plurality of light source/detector elements P 1 , P 2 , and P 3 up to P N+1 are arranged in a daisy-chain configuration using a plurality of optic fibers F 1 through F 2N . The elements P 1 -P N+1 can be optically coupled to their respective optic fibers in a conventional manner. Preferably, each source/detector element is an LED that can transmit and detect light using similar spectral response characteristics. In Fig. 2, P 1 is shaded to represent a point in time or first period during which that device is active or emitting light. The light is launched into fiber F 1 to the first sensor S 1 . The sensor S 1 modulates or otherwise changes one or more characteristics of the light and launches output light into the second fiber F 2 . This light is transmitted to and detected by the second device P 2 . The output of the detector P 2 can be stored using a sample and hold circuit 32 if desired for further processing. At this time it should be noted that in the examples being described herein, reference to sensors and devices as being "first", "second" and so on as well as "first period" and "second period" of time is arbitrary and only for purposes of explanation. Anyone skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the sensors can be interrogated in any desired sequence. In Fig.3, the first device P 1 is off and the second device P 2 is on during a second time period. The light from P 2 is launched into two fibers, namely F 2 and F 3 . Therefore, the first and second sensors S 1 and S 2 are interrogated. Devices P 1 and P 3 function as detectors during this second time period. Again, sample and hold circuits 34,36 can be used for temporarily holding the detector output signals for further processing. For example, during the second time period (Fig. 3) the data from the first two sensors can be sent on for further processing while the data from the third detector P 3 is temporarily held. Note that in comparing Figs. 2 and 3 that the sensor S 1 received light in one direction from LED P 1 , and received light in an opposite direction from LED P 2 . This arrangement is useful for implementing a bi-directional sensing scheme because bi-directional data samples for each sensor are ratio processed as is more fully described in the referenced patent. This multiplexed sequence of operating the devices P 1 through P N is continued until all the sensors have been interrogated. It will be appreciated that the network of Fig. 2 permits N sensors to be interrogated using only N+1 devices (rather than 2N as would be otherwise expected); and utilizes 2N optic fibers (or 2N fiber bundles depending on the application). It will further be noted that regardless of the number of sensors used in a network, for each pair of sensors (e.g. S 1 and S 2 ) that share three devices P 1 -P 3 , only one of the devices is transmitting light at a given time. Referring next to Fig. 4, there is illustrated another preferred embodiment of the invention (in this example, only N=3 sensors are shown, it being understood that three or more sensors can be used). This network architecture is similar to that shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and operates in much the same way, except that in this embodiment, the output fiber F 6 (F 2N ) of the last sensor S 3 (S N ) is optically coupled back to the first device P 1 . This results in the use of only N devices to interrogate N sensors. In the example of Fig. 4, the third device P 3 is serving as a light source so that sensors S 2 and S 3 are being interrogated. The sensor S 3 and S 2 outputs are detected respectively by devices P 1 and P 2 . The output from P 1 is shown being sampled and held while the output from P 2 is sent to the processor along with the sample from P 3 stored from the preceding time that S 3 was interrogated. Again, the sample and hold processing is a convenience when implementing a bi-directional sensing scheme, or other designs where the sensor data must be temporarily stored until the processor is ready to receive it. A particular advantage of the arrangement of Fig. 4 is that it includes an inherent self-test capability. This arises from the use of two LEDs to interrogate each sensor. For example, suppose while device P 1 is on (i.e. functioning as a light source) device P 2 detects an output from sensor S 1 , but device P 3 fails to detect an output from sensor S 3 . If, on the other hand, device P 3 detects an output from sensor S 2 when device P 2 is on, then a failure in optic fibers F 5 ,F 6 or sensor S 3 is indicated. As another example, suppose device P 3 detects an output when P 1 is on but not when P 2 is on. If P 1 and P 3 fail to detect an output when P 2 is supposed to be on, then a failure of P 2 or its associated fibers is indicated. If in this scenario P 1 does receive an output when P 2 is on (but P 3 does not), then a failure in fibers F 3 or F 4 is indicated. Other self-test functions can be similarly implemented depending on the particular application. An exemplary control and signal processing circuit is shown schematically in Fig. 5. This circuit is particularly useful for implementing bi-directional sensing, however, it is only intended to be exemplary. Anyone skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many different types of control and processing circuits can be used to realize the present invention. For example, various functions of the circuit can be implemented with discrete devices, a microprocessor based system or other programmable circuit. More or less functions can also be implemented, but an important function is the sequential operation of the devices P 1 through P N . The control circuit may include an oscillator or other main timing element 40 that drives a logic circuit 42. The logic circuit 42 controls a multiplexer 44 which functions basically as a multiple switching device responsive to the logic circuit 42. The multiplexer 44 determines which LED or device P N is active as a source, and which ones are being used as detectors during periods of time controlled by the logic circuit 42. As is well known to those skilled in the art, an LED functions as a light source when it is forward biased. An LED can also operate as a light detector when under reverse bias or no bias in response to light within its emitted spectral band. Under timing control and device selection from the logic circuit 42, the multiplexer 44 connects or switches the appropriate device P 1 -P N output to a gain circuit 46 (with or without a reverse bias applied to the LED as determined for a particular application and the LED device characteristics) at the appropriate times that each device is acting as a detector. The multiplexer also connects each LED to an appropriate drive voltage when each device is acting as a light source. The gain circuit 46 output is connected to a series of sample and hold circuits 32, 34 and 36 as previously described herein, which are also controlled by the logic circuit 42 through connections 48. The multiplexer outputs can be further processed in the digital or analog domain as desired. A suitable device for the multiplexer is part no. MUX 24 available from Analog Devices. The switching function for forward and reverse bias of each device P N can be carried out, for example, with a drive transistor that turns on and off in response to the timing logic 42 signals. Further signal processing circuitry can be provided, for example, in the form of a difference-over-sum ratio circuit 50 and a built-in-test circuit 52, which circuits function in a manner as described in the '962 patent. Again, the particular type of signal processing used will depend on the particular end-uses of the invention employed by a designer, but a timing/multiplex circuit will generally be used in order to control the desired sequence of interrogating the plurality of sensors. While the invention has been shown and described with respect to specific embodiments and aspects thereof, this is for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, and other variations and modifications of the specific embodiments herein shown and described will be apparent to those skilled in the art within the intended spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims: An optic sensor system, comprising at least one interrogatable optic sensor (S 1 ,S 2 ...), the at least one sensor (S 1 ,S 2 ...) having two bi-directional optical ports whereby interrogating light received by the at least one sensor (S 1 ,S 2 ...) through either port exits through the other port with a characteristic dependent on a parameter sensed by the at least one sensor (S 1 ,S 2 ...), and a plurality of light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) connected to the optical ports, each device (P 1 ,P 2 ...) being switchable between a condition in which it acts as a light source and a condition in which it acts as a light detector, characterised in that there are N sensors (S 1 ,S 2 ...) (where N is at least 2) interrogatable by the light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...), in that the number of light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) in the said plurality thereof is less than N+2, in that each port of all the sensors (S 1 ,S 2 ...) is optically coupled to only one of the light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...), in that the two ports of each sensor (S 1 ,S 2 ...) are optically coupled to different ones of the light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...), in that the sensors of a plurality or of each of more than one plurality of sensors (S 1 & S 2 ;S 2 & S 3 ) are optically coupled to a common one or a respective common one of the light source/detector devices (P 2 , P 3 ), in that each sensor of the or each said plurality of the sensors (S 1 & S 2 ; S 2 & S 3 ) is also connected to a respective one of the light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) other than the common one or the corresponding common one, and by control means (42,44) for switching each device (P 1 ,P 2 ...) in turn into the light source condition and simultaneously holding the remaining devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) in the light detector condition. A system according to claim 1, characterised in that N is at least 3 and each of all of the light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) is coupled optically to one port of each of two of the sensors (S 1 ,S 2 ...). A system according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that at least one of the devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) is a light emitting diode. A system according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that at least one of the devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) is a hybrid device having a light source/detector pair connected to the single input/output port. A system according to claim 4, characterised in that the hybrid device comprises a laser diode and a back-faceted diode. A system according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the control means comprises sample and hold means (32,34,36) for receiving and storing output signals from the devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) when each device is in the light detector condition. A system according to any preceding claim, characterised by a plurality of optic fibers (F 1 ,F 2 ...) for optically coupling the devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) and the sensors (S 1 ,S 2 ...). An optic sensor method, for interrogating at least one interrogatable optic sensor (S 1 ,S 2 ...), the at least one sensor having two bi-directional optical ports whereby interrogating light received by the at least one sensor (S 1 ,S 2 ...) through either port exits through the other port with a characteristic dependent on a parameter sensed by the at least one sensor (S 1 ,S 2 ...), comprising the step of using a plurality of light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) connected to the optical ports, and switching each device (P 1 ,P 2 ...) between a condition in which it acts as a light source and a condition in which it acts as a light detector, characterised in that there are N sensors (S 1 ,S 2 ...) (where N is at least 2) interrogatable by the light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...), in that the number of light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) in the said plurality thereof is less than N+2, by the step of optically coupling each port of all the sensors (S 1 ,S 2 ...) to only one of the light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) such that the two ports of each sensor (S 1 ,S 2 ...) are optically coupled to different ones of the light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) and such that the sensors of a plurality or of each of more than one plurality of sensors (S 1 & S 2 ;S 2 & S 3 ) are optically coupled to a common one or a respective common one of the light source/detector devices (P 2 , P 3 ) and such that each sensor of the or each said plurality of the sensors (S 1 & S 2 ;S 2 & S 3 ) is also connected to a respective one of the light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) other than the common one or the corresponding common one, and by switching each device (P 1 ,P 2 ...) in turn into the light source condition and simultaneously holding the remaining devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) in the light detector condition. A method according to claim 8, characterised in that N is at least 3 and by the step of coupling optically all of the light source/detector devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) to one port of each of two of the sensors (S 1 ,S 2 ...). A method according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that at least one of the devices (P 1 ,P 2 ) is a light emitting diode. A method according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that at least one of the devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) is a hybrid device having a light source/detector pair connected to the single input/output port. A method according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that each of the devices (P 1 ,P 2 ...) is a hybrid contained in a single package. A system according to claim 12, characterised in that the hybrid device comprises a laser diode and a back-faceted diode.

Inventors: KLINE BRUCE ROBERT, LICHTENFELS FREDERICK LLOYD II, MAURICE LISA BRACKENBURY, KLINE, BRUCE ROBERT, LICHTENFELS, FREDERICK LLOYD, II, MAURICE, LISA BRACKENBURY
Applicants: SIMMONDS PRECISION PRODUCTS, SIMMONDS PRECISION PRODUCTS INC.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: G01D5
IPC codes: G01R15, G01D5